Vice President’s Report

Reflections of a Geologist

s I write this article for AEG News, I am reminded that I have been practicing as a geoscientist for 40 years. I started my the current Shelter In Place and Social Distance Measurement guidelines. We will have to do our best to converse with other members via webinars, techWilliam Godwin, 2019–20 AEG Vice President A career with Petty Ray Geophysical working between nical journals, and committee calls. We can the Powder River and Williston Basins of Montana always use committee volunteers, especially ones and North Dakota in March of 1980. I was a Doothat want to stay connected to the profession. dlebugger, a term that describes someone who Hard work—whether getting paid or volunteering— works on geophysical exploration crews mapping the isrewarding. I remember laying out seismic cables in subsurface. A lot has happened in these succeeding the Theodore Roosevelt Badlands in western North years, most of it positive. My experience allows me to reflect Dakota by hand in the heat and on soft crumbly slopes on my personal growth, the progression of knowledge gained working right alongside other crews that got to fly in their from studying the earth and the appreciation I have had to equipment and personnel by helicopter. It gave us personal travel throughout the US, meeting interesting people and satisfaction to know we could do this work simply through challenges. I am now at that point in my career where I can perseverance and drive. now give back, not only to young geoscientists starting their I do not know how many of you have had the chance to careers, but also to AEG. listen in on one of our AEG webinars. These are a great opporThe challenges the Association faces, as touched on by tunity to hear from practicing geoscientists on a variety of submy fellow Executive Council members in this edition of the jects. I gave one recently on reconnaissance of damage from

News are formidable. Our premier event in Portland has been the 2010 Darfield Earthquake in New Zealand. I hope to soon postponed due to the order of the Oregon Governor. This give another one on blasting that will include a case study I am reminds me of when Mt. Saint Helens erupted in May of 1980 working on in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains. I (as well and the Governor of Montana shut down all outside work as many of you) have always had a keen interest in blasting, (including our field crew) for a few days due to the amount of which for me probably began while training with the shooter on ashfall and potential breathing complications. That was a good that Petty Ray crew which was a shothole, Hi-Rez operation. It call, as is the Portland meeting now being a virtual meeting. I is funny how we experience something small or insignificant will admit I am a bit disappointed in that I will not assume the early in our careers, and later it becomes much grander and position as your AEG President in person this year. Nevertheintegral to our business or interest. less, I look at this experience as a lesson to all of us that Please stay safe, as I want to eventually meet as many of change is good. you as I can in person somewhere in the field.

Your AEG committees are striving to address the challenges of staying vital, keeping communication and advocacy at the forefront. To many, an association such as AEG is about monthly chapter meetings and the occasional field trip or course. Those activities cannot happen effectively under 2020 Corporate Sponsors

AEG Executive Council Statement on Diversity AEG supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Geosciences profession and in our organization. AEG leadGlacier Peak The University of Arizona College of Engineering ership plans to further our efforts in promoting these (888) 658-2042 values by challenging ourselves on what we can do better onlineengineering@arizona.edu to encourage underrepresented populations to consider https://online.engineering.arizona.edu/online-eng-mining/ and obtain careers in the Geosciences and to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment within our Association and the Geosciences profession. We welcome and Kilauea encourage you to join us as we strive to take meaningful, Lettis Consultants International, Inc. positive action. Please contact Cynthia Palomares, AEG Earth Science Consultants

President, at president@aegweb.org if you would like to help further develop these efforts. (661) 287-9900 1000 Burnett Avenue, Suite 350 Concord, CA 94520 http://www.lettisci.com/